Morbid Curiosity? : Painting the Tribinale della Vicaria in Seicento Naples

Fascinating online lecture from the Courtauld Research Forum examining an anonymous picture of a busy 17th century square in Naples in front of the law courts.

Edward Payne of Aarhus University, Denmark outlined the start of a new research project on this picture and how violence was depicted in Naples at the time. He described some of the action in this busy picture including a man being hung by his arms outside the law courts and a crowd outside who apparently don’t seem to notice this.

He gave us a quick outline of events in the city in the 17th century and how these were pictured by artists and discussed whether this new idea of painting contemporary events fell within the genre of history painting. He also talked about whether these could be classed as eyewitness accounts when they were probably painted later in the studio. Did the artists have to have seen events or could be base the picture on the stories of others and reading.

He also proposed that the picture might be an allegory or satire on the nature of the law and crime in the city as the building is in disrepair and the face of the clock is wrong.